Former Liverpool icon Xabi Alonso made his long-awaited return to Anfield as Bayer Leverkusen coach on Tuesday night and his actions in the tunnel were quickly spotted by eagle-eyed fans.
The Spaniard remains a hugely popular figure on Merseyside from his playing days at Liverpool. He spent five successful years with the Reds from 2004 and 2009, making 210 appearances and scoring 19 goals.
The 42-year-old was given a warm welcome back to Anfield as he prepared for a highly-anticipated clash against Arne Slot's side in the Champions League.
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And while he would be lining up on the opposite side of the dugout on Tuesday evening, he proved old habits die hard as he walked out of the tunnel.
TV cameras captured the moment Alonso walked through the iconic tunnel out onto the pitch before the game began under the lights at Anfield.
As he paced down the corridor, he couldn't help but touch the famous 'This is Anfield' sign on his way out - a superstition followed by Liverpool players past and present.
—@anfieldsociaI (@Winamino) November 5, 2024
It will trigger some excitement amongst Liverpool fans, who were desperate for the Bundesliga-winning coach to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the summer.
Alonso eventually decided to turn down a move back to England, in addition to reported interest from Real Madrid, and explained why he rejected the chance to manage his former club.
"At that time I was focused, I had a big thing with the players and we were really focused on that," Alonso said on Monday.
As fate would have it, the two clubs were matched together in the new Champions League format. But the clamour for Alonso to be appointed has died down after Slot's phenomenal start to life at Anfield, where he has won 12 of his first 13 games in charge.
The Leverkusen boss was under no illusions about the test awaiting his side, complimenting Slot's men as one of the 'best in Europe'.
"For us it is a big challenge to come here. Liverpool at the moment is one of the best if not the best in Europe, they are showing that in a very strong Premier League and the Champions League," he said.
"It's a good squad, good coach. At Anfield, it's a big challenge. We're looking forward to it, let's see what happens."
